Bonds
by Noc007
Summary: There was a reason why Guren became protective over Yūkimaru and not because she felt guilty for killing his mother. The strange connection she had with the boy reminded her of a past, a past she had tried to bury... This is her story.
1. The Matsuda Family

**Author's Note:  
**This is a story that I've been wanting to write for some time now, that, and the fact that and I also wanted to write a dark fic. By dark, I do mean, well, I'm sure you get the idea - no angst tho! For that reason, I've given this story an "M" rating.

For those who might not know, Guren is a character that appeared in the latest filler of the anime. It's alright if you do not know the character and if it helps, you can see her as an OC (not my own creation). For those who are familiar with her character, I understand that in the flashback she's young, but we have no idea what age, so, for the sake of this story, I'll be making her twelve.

* * *

**Chapter One - The Matsuda Family**

* * *

I can pinpoint down to the day when my responsibilities have changed. February 7th, a Wednesday. Mother said I was no longer a girl who could play without worries; no, I was no longer a little girl as Mother Nature had given me the gift all women received.

Oh, how I hated it and not for what it did to my body; I could deal with the blood.

I could no longer attend school for this, since I was old enough -as mother kept reminded me- to help her. I've helped her before; I watched over my sister of five years and I would shoo the flies from the food stall my mother would set to sale. Not only did I continue to watch over my sister, but now my responsibilities included tending the vegetables in our garden, laundry and taking our three goats to graze in the green pasture that surrounded our village. I should have easily handle this new change, after all, I just recently turned twelve not but a month ago.

Just for doing what my mother asked, people complimented on how mature I was for my age. I could tell my mother was proud of this and I was happy because of that - mother needed all the happiness she could receive. Personally, I could not see what was so mature about doing what I was ordered to do. Was it because I did not mouth off like a whiny brat? As much as I missed going to school, I knew my mother needed the help and I was the only one around to help her. Had dad been alive, I was sure everything would have been different.

I was only six when he passed away in some accident; my mother never told me of what, said I was too young to know. I know of death, if that's what she meant; I once witnessed a stray dog kicked in the head by a horse that was spooked of its own shadow. From where I stood, I could see how the dogs face 'swallowed' the horses' hoof, followed by its head snapping back; the body had laid limply on the ground and as I got closer, I could see the crimson blood spilling and forming a strange looking puddle where its face used to be. I had a nightmare that night.

My sister, Torako, was born on the same year father died; mother said she was quite an active baby before she was born, she also said I used to feel my mothers' stomach and jump back when I felt Torako kick. I suppose we should have taken that as a sign, because that would explain everything about her. Energetic and overall a joyous child, granted, she could be also annoying but I suppose that went hand-in-hand with her being the youngest child.

While Torako never had the chance of meeting our father, mother would -when in a good mood- tell us about him. She would tell me how I took after my father, with his light skin and serious attitude about life. Since we didn't have any pictures of him, I would not know about this. Torako was too young and energetic, she was not like my mother; her dark hair was usually worn into pigtails, better for them to be tied than loose.

So, while it was difficult growing up without a father, I could see that my mother tried her best in making us happy… and we were. While I missed attending school with the rest of my friends, I did enjoy resting under a tree as I watched over the goats.

It was until I publicly displayed an ability no one else had that our whole family life had changed…

Had I the chance to go back in time, I would have not shown _it _to them.

* * *

**AN:  
**Yes, I'm aware this chapter is quite short but this is the way I'll be writing this fic (ficlet), as I'm currently working with other stories. This story will be updated sporadically... or not, it all depends on the mood and whether I'm in-between chapters or something.


	2. Ability

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**Chapter two - Ability**

* * *

It had been exactly four days since I revealed what I first thought to be an interesting trick to the village kids. Even Torako, who I entertained when bored, had not seen it and she was the one I always showed off to.

I don't know how to explain it… to explain what I can do. One day I just… created it in the palm of my hand. It was merely a piece of pink shard and sharp as well, as I had cut my finger at one of the edges. I remember the feeling I had, the strange awe over the strange shard; I was so close in telling my mother about it but I held back. I wanted to surprise her, you see. It took me a while to perfect it, to form it into a small, see-through pink diamond.

Instead of showing it to my mother as I first planned on doing, I, in all my _wisdom_, thought it would be extremely cool to show it off to the kids.

Such a very bad idea…

Perhaps I could have gotten away with it, you know? After all, who would believe a kid claiming that Matsuda Guren could create something out of thin air? '_Oh, kids and their imaginations!' _The parents would believe I was just doing some magic trick, amusing them while keeping them out of their parents' hair. The thing is, two adults were nearby and saw the commotion. Their curiosity pulled them towards me and when they found out what I was doing, they called to me. No, _they _screamed _at me_. It was enough for me to drop what I had created. The kids were quiet and while they were confused by the way the adults were reacting, I knew I was in trouble.

Torako tagged after me as I ran home; being a kid, she must have thought I was racing her home. I did not stop when she called quits; I had to tell mother about what has happened.

I had never seen her so angry and so scared at the same time. She looked so different from the mother that I knew. While I always thought of her as a pretty woman, she looked so wild and scary. With Torako crying in the background, she had ordered me to never show off my newfound ability and hope for the best.

I learned that this was our family secret.

Beautiful and forbidden.

* * *

**AN  
**Once in a while the chapters will be coming out drabble-like but they will still tell the story!


	3. Promise

* * *

**Chapter three - Promise**

* * *

_I could tell that something was different about the village and I voiced them to my mother. She brushed it off, claiming I was seeing things and that life in the village had not changed nor the attitude from the people. _

_I believed her… until that day. _

~~~~~*~~~~~~

"Where's Torako?" Mother had asked as she entered our small kitchen. She had been outside with the vegetables; she had set herself in sorting those she will sell and those we will eat. The pretty from the ugly.

"I think she's outside, perhaps playing with the other kids." I answered as I sorted out the beans on the table. I was put to the task to separate the "good" ones from the "bad" ones and while the thought of it was easy, putting it to task was not. I heard her sigh; I looked up from the dozen I had in front of me. "What?"

I could tell she was thinking over what to say and I had a vague idea of what the subject might be about. Could it possibly be about our abilities? Was she going to reveal more about it?

"Go and find your sister." She said instead.

"Why?"

She dropped the basket she had been carrying on the table, hard enough for some of the beans to roll off from the table. That was enough for me to know she was serious about the subject, but I was still curious. "It's not even twilight yet, why shou--"

"You should have known better than to let her go outside by herself. Now go and find _her_."

The urgency and seriousness of her voice was enough for me to go for my shoes and search for Torako.

**

* * *

**

The loud voices of the children shouting was enough to catch my attention towards a small hill at the other end of the village. Having been walking and jogging in search of Torako, I did not want to waste my energy by running up the hill and not seeing her, instead I had taken a tentative step towards the direction.

"Freak!" The wind carried out the shout.

"_No!" _

It was Torako! I quickly sprang up towards the hill as fast as I could as I listened to the kids shouting and jeering.

"Monster! Leave the village!"

"Yeah, leave the village!"

"Don't let her touch you or she'll turn you into a rock!"

Once I reached the top, I could see a group of six children surrounding Torako who stood submissively in the middle of the group. It was then that a boy a couple years older than her raised his arm and in a flash threw something towards her direction.

"Hey!" I screamed out angrily as I both felt and heard my blood pumping between my ears, my face heating up as I saw what just happened before me. Without hesitation, I threw a piece of crystal towards the boy with all my might, narrowly missing another's face but still hitting the older boy's shoulder. It was then that the other kids sprang away, shouting and screaming. Ignoring them, I quickly ran down to Torako's kneeling form, ignoring the piece of pink crystal I walked by

"Get the _fuck away _or I will not miss this time," I warned the older boy who stood shocked whether by what I've done or by the sight of Torako. Without another second to waste, the boy ran.

Torako's sobs shook her body as she held her bowed head between her hands. "Torako," I whispered in a soothing voice as I knelt in front of her. "Look at me. They're gone."

Torako shook her head, her small ponytails swaying back and forth. As I looked at her, I saw a small drop of crimson fall onto the dirt ground. With my throat already dried, I swallowed as I sharply pulled her up to face me and what I saw made me wince.

"Oh, _Torako; _I'm _so _sorry."

The rock that I believed to have missed Torako had indeed hit her; it was on the right side of her forehead where a small gash was apparent. Now that her face was tilted up at me, a small droplet escaped from the wound and trickled down the side of her face. With a thumb, I brushed it away, smearing her cheek with the red color.

"It _hurts, _Guren, _it _hurts!" She wailed.

I pulled her to me, closing my eyes as I felt her cries shake her body.

It was at that instant that everything changed.

I became her protector; I made her that promise that I will never let harm befall on her.


End file.
